1. You can play golf and wear shorts year round

Floridians like to joke about how 65 degrees is cold and warrants a heavy jacket and long pants. With over 700 natural springs in Florida, you can leave your swim trunks close by for a swim, scuba dive or underwater exploration. Keep some golf shorts close by so you can hit the links after your underwater exploration. Unlike up north, the golf courses in Florida stay open year round and the cost to play Florida golf courses are more affordable. One of the most beautiful golf courses in Northeast Florida is Hidden Hills Country Club. The Hidden Hills Country Club is so beautiful you may forget you are playing golf and want to simply enjoy the natural beauty of this Arnold Palmer Signature layout. “The course sometimes teases you to use a driver, but the better play is to keep it simple and just put the ball in position,” says Russ Libby, PGA Director of Golf. “From the championship tees, it’s a true tournament course. But as you work forward on the tees, it eases up a little bit and the average golfer will have access to a wide variety of shots.” While standing on the 10th tee box junior golfer Dominic Clayton said, “this golf course is just beautiful.” The golf Pro John Handley is a very friendly and the staff is super accommodating, another reason why Florida is the perfect place to relocate to. Ready to start moving to Florida?

2. The cost of living is much lower

A one bedroom apartment in Jacksonville rents for $904 a month on average and a two bedroom apartment rents for an average of $1112. A one bedroom apartment in Philadelphia rents for $1725 a month on average and a two bedroom apartment rents for an average of $2198. If your plan is to let your dollar stretch further consider moving to Florida. Boasting impressive beaches, world-class restaurants, fun nightclubs and more, no wonder tourists don’t want to go back home to their boring, expensive, beachless lives. You can spend your extra dollars on watching the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers play. Well if you are moving to Florida these are good reasons!

3. People in Florida are very polite and courteous

Forget the hustle and bustle of New York, Floridians enjoy taking in beautiful sights. The small things in life are much more appreciated in Florida, the breeze from the ocean, the sway of palm trees, the clouds that look like someone you know, Florida is absolutely astonishing. Southern hospitality is the unofficial law of the land. Being surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Floridians can fall out of bed and go tanning, swimming, surfing, fishing, boating, or golfing. When a hectic work week mounts simply head out to the beach and release your stress, Floridians have a better quality of life due to the natural beauty of the state, and in turn are happier people. Moving to Florida has nice people and nice scenes. Don’t you think so?

4. Winter time feels like heaven

With an average temperature of 78 degrees for the winter months Florida is the perfect destination in the brutal Northern winter. If you are an outdoor person (like many of us are) not worrying about being snowed in is quite refreshing. The sand on the beach in the winter time is slightly cool to the touch, the sun rays lightly dance off the waves in the ocean and the Florida breeze is very refreshing. The weather is so nice in the winter time you can literally spend an entire day fishing and surfing. There is a reason Snowbirds vacation and eventually relocate to Florida in the winter months.

Dr. Shuford has many accomplishments and achievements to his name, a couple of those being decorated U.S. Army veteran, award-winning writer for the Huffington Post, Business.com & Buzzfeed. Dr. Shuford has been featured in the Jacksonville Business Journal, Huffington Post, and Upstart Business Journal to name a few. Dr. Shuford is also the founder of the ever-growing award-winning veteran-owned technology company Tech From Vets.

Are you in Orlando looking for a break from the myriad of amusement parks? Are you tired of the roller coasters, carousels and movie shows? Maybe an ecotourism experience is just what you need. Not far from Orlando are airboat tours and parks where you can take a refreshing break watching the phenomenal wildlife and nature of the Everglades. Take a look at these Orlando airboat tours and the VIP specials you can take advantage of right now.

Wild Willy’s Airboat Tours

Located right on Lake Tohopekaliga in St. Cloud, Florida, Wild Willy’s Airboat Tours is nicely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando. That makes it a great spot for a calming, scenic airboat ride through the wetlands. On this one-hour eco tour, visitors will take in amazing sights of gators, bald eagles, blue herons and other wildlife. The airboats are full-insured and driven by licensed captains who are skilled at spotting local wildlife. After the tour, guests can hold and take pictures with gators for free. Save up to 30% off an airboat ride by paying only $33.00 for adults and $25.00 for kids as a VIP member.

Wild Florida Airboats & Wildlife Park

At Wild Florida Airboats and Wildlife Park, Orlando visitors will get a true taste of adventure in the Florida Everglades. Located right on Cypress Lake, this park is 45 minutes away from Orlando and offers way more than airboat rides. Guests have tour choices of half-hour, one-hour, private, or night-time trips on US Coast Guard-approved airboats. On these airboats, seasoned captains lead guests across the shoreline through incredible swamps, rivers and marshes.

Provided with life jackets and ear protection, guests can also catch glimpses of eagles, alligators and other types of wildlife. If airboat rides aren’t enough, visitors can explore over 200 animals in the Gator and Wildlife Park. Some of the exotic animals guests can visit include sloths, lemurs, zebras and bobcats. There are also a playground and petting zoo where kids can feed baby animals. Finally, visitors can also can ride through a cattle operation on ranch buggy tours. Originating from as far back as the 1850s, the Doc Partin Ranch is one of the first cattle operations in Central Florida. On this buggy tour, guests can view cattle like the American Brahman and learn about how pioneer ranching families impacted Florida’s beef cattle production. With ticket prices starting at $21.00, you can save over 25% in VIP membership.

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides

Orlando tourists looking for an airboat adventure close to Orlando’s numerous attractions should check out Boggy Creek Airboat Rides. Boggy Creek is only 35 minutes from the Orlando area in Kissimmee, Florida. This airboat venue boasts seven airboat adventure choices that range from 30 minutes to one hour. One thrilling option is the Sunset Tour, in which visitors can see wildlife that come out in the day and at night. There’s also the Scenic Half-Hour Tour, in which guests enjoy astounding views of cyprus trees and wildlife like alligators, turtles and birds.

These tours are guided by experienced captains, and some include jetting across the water at thrilling speeds of 45 miles per hour. Boggy Creek also has a Native American village where guests can learn about how Native Americans cooked, hunted and existed generations ago. As a VIP member, Orlando visitors can save over 20% on a combination deal that includes a free train ride and binocular rental. For children ages 3 to 10, the VIP price is $32.99 for the Gatorland & Boggy Creek Combo, and for adults (ages 11 and older), this combo is $44.99. Guests interested in a half-hour day airboat ride can save over 25% as VIP members. The VIP half-hour tour ticket is only $16.50 for children and $21.00 for adults.

Marsh Landing Adventures Orlando AirBoat Tours

For Orlando visitors looking for a full-scale airboat ride, their best bet will be Marsh Landing Adventures Orlando Airboat Tours in St. Cloud, Florida. At Marsh Landing Adventures, guests have the choice of going on 1-hour, 90-minute, 2-Hour, or 4-Hour Wildness Excursion Airboat Safaris. On these safaris, visitors are guided by US Coast Guard-trained captains on state-of-the-art boats. These airboats give all passengers unobstructed, fabulous views of the breathtaking plant and wild life of the Everglades.

The tours venture into Lake Toho in marsh areas that are about four to five feet deep. Pelicans, snakes, wild pigs, and bald eagles are just a few of the amazing wildlife tourists can set their sights on. On the 4-hour excursions, the tour trails deeper into the marshes to Shingle Creek, then stopping at one of Marsh Landing Adventures’ islands for a land excursion. On the island, tourists will get some history about early inhabitants like Seminole Indians and early settlers. Pay $39.50 for adult and $36.50 for children’s tickets as a VIP member, saving up to 20%!

Schedule Your Orlando Airboat Tour Today!

These Orlando airboat tours are among the best ecotourism activities that Central Florida has to offer. They are also the perfect way to round out Orlando vacation trips. So schedule an airboat tour for you and your family by becoming a value-saving VIP member!

Hosting the Players Championship every year and boasting over 70 golf courses, Jacksonville is the perfect place to enjoy a golf vacation. Located minutes from downtown Jacksonville and home base for the First Tee of North Florida you will find a beautiful and very accommodating golf course know as Brentwood Golf Course.

Brentwood Golf Course was designed by famed Scottish golf architect Donald Ross in 1923. For anyone reading (nongolf historians) not familiar with Donald Ross his most notable designs are Pinehurst No. 2, Aronimink Golf Club, East Lake Golf Club, Seminole Golf Club, Oak Hill, Memphis Country Club, Inverness Club and Oakland Hills. Brentwood Golf Course is also known for hosting the 1945 & 1946 Jacksonville Open, both won by legendary professional golfer Sam Snead. Snead is one of the most prominent golfers of the 20th century, a winner of seven major championships, including three Masters, three PGA Championships, and one British Open.

Brentwood Golf Course’s charm rest in the natural beauty of the 9 hole layout. The greens have personality, and the course is challenging yet fun to play. The view from the 9th hole is spectacular, giving you a beautiful view of the tallest building in Northeast Florida, the Bank of America Tower. The staff is also friendly, and the tee times are extremely flexible. Brentwood Golf Course also has an innovative smartphone application available for download free to help make information more readily attainable for their customers. Brentwood Golf Course’s mobile app boasts over 48 5-star reviews and has many happy users. Inside the app is a USGA rule book, innovative up-to-the-minute weather forecast, GHIN handicap integration and innovative Tee time booking capabilities. The Brentwood Golf Course app was developed by Tech From Vets and has earned numerous awards for its technological advancements.

“You can’t find a more affordable, friendly and accommodating golf course in Jacksonville. Most golfers who have not visited or played Brentwood (Golf Course) think it’s a kid’s course due to Brentwood Golf Course’s partnership with the First Tee of North Florida. However, this is not the case” says Lonnell McCall a 20 year Navy veteran and golf enthusiast. “Brentwood Golf Course is home to many skill level golfers; it’s not unusual to see golfers that play professionally on the driving range, chipping area, or the putting green right next to you,” says Keith Granchamp a Brentwood Golf Course customer. Many Brentwood Golf Course veterans speak of golf legend Calvin Peete hitting balls on the driving range at Brentwood Golf Course, spending most of his time practicing his dazzling driving accuracy.

If you are considering traveling to Jacksonville, come visit Brentwood Golf Course. The staff is extremely friendly, and the greens are in great shape. Brentwood Golf Course’s General Manager Monty Duncan is also very fun to talk to, Monty is an avid golfer and has great tips to help improve your golf game. When visiting this beautiful history filled golf course don’t forget to kindly tell them Florida.com sent you!

Dr. Shuford has many accomplishments and achievements to his name, a couple of those being decorated U.S. Army veteran, award-winning journalist for the Huffington Post, Business.com & Buzzfeed. Dr. Shuford has been featured in the Jacksonville Business Journal, Huffington Post, and Upstart Business Journal to name a few.